National data shows more people accessing NHS dental care across Surrey and Sussex
Thousands more people across Surrey and Sussex are benefiting from NHS dental care, with new data showing significant increases in the amount of treatment and urgent care delivered to patients.
The latest national figures show that NHS dental practices across Surrey and Sussex delivered more than 1.74 million courses of treatment during 2025/26, an increase of over 134,000 compared with the previous year. Urgent dental care activity also increased, with more than 156,000 urgent treatments provided, around 17,000 more than in 2024/25.
The increase reflects continued work across Surrey and Sussex to improve access to NHS dentistry and ensure more patients can receive the care they need, through routine appointments or urgent treatments.
Amy Galea, Chief Commissioning Officer - Neighbourhood Health and Partnerships for NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board, said:
We are pleased with the work done so far to expand dental capacity and access for local communities. While this data shows the positive progress that has been made so far, work continues to further improve access and address ongoing challenges. Some areas of improvement include increasing availability of treatments for adults with complex dental issues and ensuring people can continue to access routine care, such as recalls and dental checkups.
Surrey and Sussex is ranked as the second ICB nationally for the increase in the number of adults receiving NHS dental treatment, demonstrating that improvements are translating into care being provided to more people.
In Coastal West Sussex, two new NHS dental practices are set to open in the autumn in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, with the potential for thousands of patients to access NHS dental services.
Farha Mohamed, Founder & Managing Director of One Smile Dental, said:
We are incredibly pleased to be opening two new NHS dental practices in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. We know how important access to NHS dentistry is for local families and our focus has been on creating modern, welcoming and high-quality practices that patients can rely on for the long term.
It is also really important to us that these practices feel part of the communities they serve. We want to build services that are genuinely connected to the local area and become trusted parts of the Littlehampton and Bognor Regis communities.
There has been a huge amount of work behind the scenes to get both practices ready and we are really looking forward to welcoming our first patients.
The surgeries are due to open in the Autumn and patients can register for interest directly through the practice website, with pre-booking for appointments due to open from 28th September.
Dentist in Littlehampton | One Smile Dental